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v * HALL'S 

MASTER WORKMAN 

AND 

MASONIC MONITOR. 



A COMPLETE GUIDE TO MASTERS OF LODGES 

IN THE LECTURES AND WORK 

OF FREEMASONRY, 

As generally approved and used throughout the United States. 



ORIGINAL PRAYERS, 

AND A COMPLETE LIST OF LODGES UNDER THE JURISDICTION 

OF THE GRAND LODGE OF MASSACHUSETTS, WITH 

DATES OF CHARTERS AND TIME OF MEETING. 



AND TIME OF J 



By JNO. K. HALL, 

Past Master, Past District Deputy Grand Master, State of Massachusetts : 

P. H. P. of St. Paul's R. A. C. ; P. D. G. H. P. of Gr. R A. C. ; 

P. M. E. Com. of Boston E. K. T. ' 



vvy 



FOURTH EDITION. 



BOSTON: 
A. WILLIAMS & CO., 

ioo Washington Street. 



\\^A 



Si 



\V 



Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1869, by 

A . WILLIAMS & CO., 

in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the District of 
Massachusetts. 



University Press: 

Welch, B i g e l o vv , and Company, 

Cambridge. 



R. W. MAJOR-GENERAL WILLIAM SUTTON, 

DISTRICT DEPUTY GRAND MASTER OF THE SECOND MASONIC 
DISTRICT OF MASSACHUSETTS, 

£ix Gotten of Hcspect 

For his Masonic acquirements and private worth, his eminent 
services and fidelity to the Craft, and his constant exem- 
plification of that greatest of all Masonic virtues, 

Charity; 

also, as a slight manifestation of personal 
esteem and regard, 

THIS LITTLE VOLUME 

IS KESPECTFULLY DEDICATED, 



THE AUTHOR. 



INTRODUCTORY. 



Before proceeding to the business or work of 
the evening, the first step is to see that the officers 
are in their stations, and the brethren in their 
proper Masonic clothing. Care is next taken that 
none are present but the members and brethren 
who are properly vouched for. The next step is 
to see that the avenues are securely guarded, and 
the guard informed of his duty, and also the qualifi- 
cations necessary for those who seek to pass. The 
officers and members are then, by order of the 
Master, reminded of their duties, and an invocation 
to Deity completes the business of preparation. 
The Secretary then makes his report of the doings 
of the previous communication, and the business of 
the present. 



PREFACE. 



This volume will, I am certain, answer the re- 
quirements of those who have wanted a text-book 
in which the chain of events from the admission of 
the candidate to his being raised to the sublime 
degree of a Master Mason should be continued un- 
broken. Thus enabling a person, who for the first 
time occupies the Oriental Chair, to go through the 
duties devolving upon that station, so far as the 
work of the degrees is concerned, in as systematic 
a manner as though he had presided for years. I 
have endeavored to make the connection so perfect, 
that nothing may be wanting ; and, by a careful 
perusal, any Master Mason will be able to recog- 
nize each individual step in the ascent of the Ma- 
sonic ladder. The work will be found to be that 
which is sanctioned by the Grand Lodge. The 
passages which are in small type are those to which 
the attention is more particularly invited, as they 
will recall to the Master points of essential impor- 
tance to the candidate. With these few remarks, 
I present to my brethren this volume of the Master 
Workman. 

J. K. H. 



Cambridge, May 5th, 1864. 
R. W. Bro. J. K. Hall. 

I have examined very carefully the " Master Workman " com- 
piled by you, and do not hesitate to give it my unqualified ap- 
proval, and cheerfully recommend it to the Fraternity as a well 
and ingeniously arranged Monitor and Guide, strictly conforming 
to the work as taught by the late R. W. Bro. Wm. C. Martin and 
myself. It is well calculated to produce that uniformity of work so 
desirable in our Lodges ; and by means of this Text-Hook every 
Lodge may possess within itself that power which the Most Wor- 
shipful Grand Master, John T. Heard, so earnestly recommended, 
of "having within itself the means of instruction, without the ex- 
pense incurred by a visit from Grand Lecturers." 
Fraternally yours, 

BENJ. F. NOURSE, 
Past Gr. Lecturer of the Gr. L. of Mass 



RECOMMENDATIONS. 



Providence, R I., May 17, 1864. 
. R. W. Bro. J. K. Hall : — 

Dear Sir and Sir Knight : I return herewith the proofs of the 
" Master Workman," and am very much pleased with it. I do 
not see any change to suggest ; but, on the contrary, I think no 
alteration necessary. It will certainly prove a great help to any 
officer of a Lodge, or to any one desirous to learn the work in an 
efficient and thorough manner. 

Yours, fraternally, 

THOS. A. DOYLE, 
Gr. Sec. of Gr. Lodge of R. L 



Office of the Grand Master, 

Portland, Me, July 2, 1864. 
My dear Sir and Bro. : - 

I received with much gratification your little Manual, and 
from the examination I have been able to give it, should judge 
that it would be a very valuable assistant, not only to presiding 
officers, but also to all who wish to become thorough Masons. 
The " Master Workman " has only to become known to be gener- 
ally used. I trust you will derive that satisfaction from the ex- 
tended sale of your publication which it so richly deserves. 
I am, my dear Sir and Brother, 

With much friendship and esteem, 

Yery truly and fraternally yours, 

WILLIAM P. PREBLE, 
Gr. Master of Gr. Lodge of Maine. 



2 RECOMMENDATIONS. 

Portland, Me., July 2, 1864. 
R. W. Sir and Bro.: — 

Allow me to thank you most heartily for the copy of your 
" Mastei Workman " with which you have so kindly favored me. 
It supplies a want which I have felt ever since I was first inducted 
into the Oriental chair. With such a compact, systematic guide, 
no Mastei oi a Lodge can now have any excuse for not being pro- 
ficient in the work. 

Yours, fraternally, 

JOSIAH H. DRUMMOND, 
Past Gr. Master of Gr. Lodge of Maine. 
To R. W. John K. Hall. 

Nahant, July 9, 1864. 
Dear Bro. Hall : — 

I beg you to accept my best thanks for the copy of your beau- 
tiful " Master Workman " and " Masonic Monitor." It is in every 
particular an exquisite gem. There is certainly no Trestle Board 
in existence which can rival it in neatness and utility. 
Most cordially your friend and brother, 

WM. ROTJNSEVILLE ALGER. 
John K. Hall, Esq. 

New York, July 11, 1864. 
Bro John K. Hall Boston : — 

Dear Sir and Brother : Your favor and book reached me in due 
course ; accept my acknowledgments. I have examined the book 
with care, and have no hesitation in pronouncing it the best aide 
memoire that I have ever seen. When rightly understood Mas- 
ters will find it indispensable. 
Fraternally, 

JOHN W. SIMONS, 
Past Gr. Blaster of Gr. Lodge of New York. 

Boston, July 14, 18 
Dear Sir and Bro. : — 

It is with much pleasure I give my opinion on the l< Master 
Workman." The arrangement of the Lectures is so strictly fol- 



RECOMMENDATIONS. 3 

lowed in the " Workman," and the continuity of the Lectures and 
parts of Lectures therein is so perfectly preserved, that it cannot 
fail to be a most convenient as well as reliable guide in important 
transactions of a Lodge To the young Master it will be very use- 
ful ; and even to the old Mason — such in many cases is the 
feebleness of memory — it will be an unfailing prompter and 
friend. I thank you for giving to Masonry a work so useful and 
instructive. 

Tery fraternally yours, 

JOHN T. HEARD, 
Past Gr. Master of Gr. Lodge of Mass. 
To John K. Hall, Esq. 



'Washington', Aug. 4, 1864. 
John K. Hall, Esq. : — 

My dear Sir and Bro. : Your little manual, entitled " The Mas- 
ter Workman," has been received ; I have read the book through 
carefully. It is well adapted to keep a young Master of a Lodge 
in the legitimate track, as the allusions, though hidden from the 
profane, are readily comprehended by one who has paid proper at- 
tention to the teachings, as he passed onward from an E. A. to a 
M. M. I think you have given to the craft a very useful and a 
very beautiful little manual, and I hope you will reap your reward 
for your labor. 

Truthfully and fraternally yours, 

B. B. FRENCH, 

M. E. Gr. Master of Gen. Gr. Encamp, of 

Knights Templar of U. S. 



Salem, August 15, 1864. 
Dear Friend and Brother : — 

Your ; ' Master Workman and Masonic Monitor " is a most 
valuable book ; everything there ; nothing extraneous, and noth- 
ing left out. I have examined it thoroughly, and regard it as a 
most valuable addition to the manual literature of the Order. I 
shall take great pleasure, and at the same time perform what I be- 



4 RECOMMENDATIONS. 

lieve to be a duty, in recommending it to the Lodges for practi- 
cal use. 

I am most truly and fraternally yours, 

WILLIAM SUTTON, 
D. D. G. M. of the 'Second M. D of Mass. 



Manchester, N. H., Aug. 16, 1864. 
My dear Sir and Bro. : — 

You will please accept my kindest regards for a copy of your 
beautiful little volume entitled the " Master AVorkman." Having 
examined its contents, I must say that I think it the most perfect 
and best work of the kind I have ever seen, and I hope and trust 
it may find its way into the hands of every presiding Master, and 
that you may be well rewarded for your labor. 
Yours, fraternally, 

I. S. KIDDER, 
Dep. Gr. Master of Gr. Lodge ofN. H. 
To R. W. Bro Jno. K. Hall. 



Quebec, 14 Sept., 1864. 
R. W. Bro. Jno. K. Hall, Esq., Boston, Mass. : — 

R. W. Sir and Brother: I am much obliged to you for a copy 
of your u Master Workman," which I have looked over carefully 
and with much interest. It is very creditable to your zeal in the 
cause of the craft, and is, in my opinion, well adapted as a help to 
the memory and comprehended easily. I hope you will derive 
profit as well as pleasure from your labor. I think brethren in 
Canada cannot fail to find your " little book " useful, though our 
details are not quite the same and do not come in the same order 
as with you. The essentials, however, do not differ. 
Believe me, R. W. Sir and Brother, 
Yours, very fraternally, 

T. DOUGLAS HARINGTON, 
Past Gr. Master of Gr. Lodge of Canada. 



RECOMMENDATIONS. 5 

From Aug. C. L. Arnold, LL. D., Author of "Philosophical His- 
tory of Freemasonry," " Rationale and Ethics of Freemasonry," 
&c, &c. 

"The 'Master Workman and Masonic Monitor,' by Bro. Jno. K. 
Hall, is one of the most modest and yet useful little books ever 
offered to the Masonic Fraternity. To the Master of a Lodge it is 
invaluable. It proceeds, step by step, through the work of the 
three degrees, and, by its peculiar system of suggestions, brings di- 
rectly before the mind of the intelligent Brother all of the esoteric 
ritual of Freemasonry ; while to the profane it reveals nothing more 
than is expressed in the language itself : on the principle that ' the 
initiated know what is meant.' Brother Hall has produced a work 
which should be in the hands of every Mason who desires to keep 
the lamp of his Masonic science trimmed. It contains reflections 
and annotations on the symbolical degrees, original and very sug- 
gestive, expressed in sterling English, which make the book very 
attractive and instructive." 



Grand Lodge of Vermont, 
Poultnet, Oct. 2, 1865, A. L. 5865. 
John K. Hall, Esq. : — 

My dear Sir and Brother : — The " Master Workman " was duly 
received and examined, and found to fill a want long desired by 
the craft. In fact, no Master should be without a copy. It is con- 
cise, well arranged, and calculated to give instruction in the work 
often lost sight of. I most cordially commend it to the craft. It 
will soon become the standard in this jurisdiction. 
Fraternally yours, 

HENRY CLARK, 
Gr. Sec. ofGr. Lodge of Vermont. 



6 RECOMMENDATIONS. 

From Daily Globe, St. John, N. B., March 24, 1865. 

"The latest, best, and most convenient Monitor yet issued, ' Hall's 
Master Workman and Masonic Monitor.' We direct the attention 
of the Masonic Fraternity to this handsome little work, issued by 
A. Williams & Co., of Boston. The author, Mr. John K. Hall, was, 
by his Masonic and general knowledge, well fitted for the task he 
undertook 5 and he has produced a work that is vastly superior to 
the ordinary guide-books designed for the use of the ritualist. It 
embraces the work of the three degrees, not arranged in such a 
shape 'that he who runs may read,' but exemplified upon a plan 
at once beautiful and philosophical, allowing wide scope to the in- 
telligent Master who does not wish to teach everything by rote, and 
serving, at the same time, as a 'Key' to those who do not place 
the fullest confidence in their own mental powers. It is time the 
old stereotyped works were done away with, and we hail the issue 
of Mr. Hall's little book as a step in the right direction ; and so we 
believe will all who will be induced to look at it, through this notice, 
if for no other reason than that it opens many subjects for the con- 
templation of the thoughtful craftsman, which are now not likely 
to arrest his attention." 



MASTER WORKMAN. 



FORM OF APPLICATION. 

To the Worshipful Master, Wardens, and Members 

of Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons: 

The subscriber respectfully represents, that, hav- 
ing long entertained a favorable opinion of your 
ancient Institution, he is desirous, if found worthy, 
of being admitted a member thereof. 

My place of residence is 

Age — - 

Occupation 

I have before applied for initiation. 

(Signed,) A B . 

EECOM3IEXDATIOX. 

I, = , member of Lodge aforesaid, 

hereby recommend said for initiation. 

(Signed,) C D . 



10 QUESTIONS ON ADMISSION. 



QUESTIONS 

TO WHICH AN AFFIRMATIVE ANSWER IS REQUIRED 
FROM THE CANDIDATE. 

I. Do you seriously declare, upon your honor, 
before these witnesses, that, unbiassed by friends, 
and uninfluenced by mercenary motives, you freely 
and voluntarily offer yourself a candidate for the 
mysteries of Masonry ? 

II. Do you seriously declare, upon your honor, 
before these witnesses, that you are prompted to 
solicit the privileges of Masonry by a favorable 
opinion conceived of the institution, a desire for 
knowledge, and a sincere wish of being serviceable 
to your fellow-creatures ? 

III. Do you seriously declare, upon your honor, 
before these witnesses, that you will cheerfully con- 
form to all the ancient-established usages and cus- 
toms of the Fraternity ? 



FIRST DEGREE. 



PRATER AT INITIATION. 

Great Architect of the Universe, be with this can- 
didate who now seeks to unite himself to this ancient and 
honorable institution; may he put his trust in Thee, and 
fear not ; may he be found duly and truly prepared, wor- 
thy and well qualified for this important undertaking : im- 
press upon his mind the solemnity of this his first step 
within our sacred Temple; teach his heart to conceal the 
secrets which he may here be intrusted with, and may he 
become a faithful brother among us. May he ever bear 
in mind that purity of life and conduct are essential to 
the true Mason, and may he look back upon this his first 
step with satisfaction and pleasure, and press onward in 
the path of masonic virtue and excellence; and, having 
faithfully performed his duty here below, wilt thou re- 
ceive him, and all of us, into thy celestial Lodge above. 
Amen. 

For while we trust in God we are secure. 

" Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for 
brethren to dwell together in unity : 

" It is like the precious ointment upon the head, 
that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron's beard, 
that went down to the skirts of his garment : 



12 FIRST DEGREE. 

" As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that 
descended upon the mountains of Zion : for there 
the Lord commanded the blessing, even life for- 
evermore." 

The J. Warden's station is in the South, and the S. War- 
den's in the West; while that great Light in Freemasonry, 
the Holy Bible, is ever upon the altar, in the centre of the 
Lodge. 

The Master must remember that the Candidate comes 
of his own free will and accord, and therefore he should 
inform him that none of the teachings of Masonry interfere 
with the several duties he owes to his God, his country, 
his neighbor, or himself, and ask him if, with this under- 
standing, he is willing to proceed. He might with pro- 
priety say, that, so far from conflicting with these duties, 
that, by practising the lessons here taught, he will be a 
truer Christian, a warmer and more zealous patriot, and 
a better neighbor and citizen. 

All who hail from our institution are morally bound to 
exemplify in their lives and conduct its excellent teach- 
ings ; dwelling together in unity and brotherly love ; doing 
unto others as they would that others should do unto 
them; thus meriting the blessing of "life forevermore." 
For the recording angel will write their names in the Book 
of Life ; and they will stand approved before the Grand 
Master in the Celestial Lodge above. 

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth ; 
and the earth was without form and void: and darkness 
was upon the face of the deep, and the spirit of God 
moved upon the face of the waters; and God said, "Let 
there be Light! '' and there was Light. Thus enabling us 



FIRST DEGREE. 13 

to behold that greater Light, his inestimable gift to man, 
— the Holy Bible, .... which Masons ever take as the 
rule and guide of their faith. 



EXPLANATIONS. 

THE LAMB-SKIN, 

OR WHITE LEATHER APRON. 

It is an emblem of innocence and the badge of 
a Mason. More ancient than the Golden Fleece 
or Eoman Eagle, — more honorable than the Star 
and Garter, or any other Order that can be con- 
ferred upon the candidate, at that or any future 
period, by King, Prince, Potentate, or any other 
person, except he be a Mason ; and which it is 
hoped he will wear with equal pleasure to himself 
and honor to the Fraternity. 



THE BADGE OF A MASON. 

The Lamb has in all ages been deemed an em- 
blem of innocence. He, therefore, who wears 
the Lamb-Skin, or White Leather Apron, as the 
" Badge of a Mason," is thereby continually re- 
minded of that purity of life and conduct which 



14 FIRST DEGREE. 

is so essentially necessary to his gaining admis- 
sion into the Celestial Lodge above, where the 
Supreme Architect of the Universe presides. 

Masonic charity does not consist in indiscriminately 
giving to all who ask it, but if a worthy brother appeals 
to our benevolence, it becomes our duty to contribute to 
his relief, as far as possible, without injury to ourself or 
family. And a Mason should not only esteem it his duty 
so to do, but, if he has received the right impression from 
the instruction given him, he will find in it a pleasure. If 
he does not properly appreciate, he must return to the 
Lodge for further instruction. 

The corner-stone of an edifice is usually placed in the 
Northeast corner, and was made perfectly square, in order 
that the walls to be raised upon it might be plumb and 
perfectly upright. 



THE TWENTY-FOUR INCH GAUGE 

Is an instrument used by operative Masons, to 
measure and lay out their work. But we, as free 
and accepted Masons, are taught to use it for the 
more noble and glorious purpose of dividing our 
time. It being divided into twenty-four equal parts, 
is emblematical of the twenty -four hours of the day; 
which we are taught to divide into three equal parts, 
whereby we find eight hours for the service of God 
and a distressed worthy brother ; eight for our usual 
avocations; and eight for refreshment and sleep. 



FIRST DEGREE. 15 



THE COMMON GAVEL 

Is an instrument used by operative Masons, to 
break off the rough and superfluous parts of stones, 
the better to fit them for the builder's use. But 
we, as free and accepted Masons, are taught to use 
it for the more noble and glorious purpose of divest- 
ing our hearts and consciences of the vices and 
superfluities of life, thereby fitting our minds as 
living stones for that spiritual building, that house 
not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 

As nothing offensive ever should find a place in our. 
Lodge-room, we are never called upon to act upon the de- 
fensive. The poor as well as the rich are entitled to its 
honors, for it is the internal, and not the external, qualifi- 
cations which recommend a man to be made a Mason. 
He may, therefore, be destitute of proper raiment for his 
body, without shoes to his feet, and still be worthy; Ma- 
sonry is blind to these, which the world would treat as 
imperfections. The germ of Masonry lies concealed in the 
heart, and he who is unwilling to receive, or unworthy of 
its honors, had better pause, even after entering our Tem- 
ple, and retrace his steps, rather than proceed on his jour- 
ney through it. But he who sincerely asks for admission 
will be received, and if he seeks he will surely find its 
hidden treasures, and at his demand the door of Freema- 
sonry will be opened unto him. But he must enter with 
pure motives, or the recollection will ever be a thorn in 
his conscience. With pure motives, invoking a blessing 
from Deity, and trusting in Him, he may safely pursue his 



16 FIRST DEGREE. 

journey in and around our beautiful Temple, upon whose 
altar ever shines that great Light in Masonry, the Holy 
Bible, and become worthy to wear that emblem of inno- 
cence and badge of a Mason, the Lamb-Skin. Taught to 
relieve the distresses of his fellow-creatures, he lays here 
a corner-stone upon which to build his future spiritual, 
moi-al, and Masonic edifice. 



A LODGE. 

A Lodge is a certain number of Masons, duly 
assembled, legally constituted, having the Holy Bi- 
ble, Square, and Compasses, with a charter or war- 
rant empowering them to work. 

Before the erection of Temples, the ancients worshipped 
the celestial bodies on the tops of high hills; and the ter- 
restrial bodies in the valleys. 

The Form of a Lodge, being a symbol of the world, is 
said to be as long as from East to West, as wide as between 
North and South, as high as from earth to heaven, and in 
depth from the surface to the centre. Thus denoting the 
extension and universality of Masonry. 



SUPPORTS. 

A Lodge is supported by three Great Pillars, 
called Wisdom, Strength, and Beauty ; because it 
is necessary that there should be Wisdom to con- 



FIRST DEGREE. 17 

trive, Strength to support, and Beauty to adorn 
all great and important undertakings. 

Thus the Master of a Lodge should possess Wisdom, to 
enable him to rule and govern his Lodge. The S. War- 
den should strengthen and assist the Master in his various 
duties. And the J. Warden should display the Beauty of 
Masonry, by his watchful care of the craftsmen. 



COVERING. 

The Covering of a Lodge is the Clouded Canopy 
or Starry-decked Heavens, where all good Masons 
hope at last to arrive, by the aid of a ladder, called 
Jacob's Ladder,* the three principal rounds of which 
are denominated Faith, Hope, and Charity ; teach- 
ing Faith in God, Hope in immortality, and Charity 
to all mankind. But the greatest of these is Char- 
ity : for Faith may be lost in sight, Hope ends in 
fruition, but Charity extends beyond the grave, to 
• the boundless realms of eternity. 



FURNITURE. 

The Furniture of a Lodge is the Holy Bible, 
Square, and Compasses. The Bible is dedicated to 
God, it being the inestimable gift of God to man ; 

* The Masonic Ladder has properly seven rounds ; viz. Temper- 
ance, Fortitude, Prudence, Justice, Faith, Hope, and Charity. 



18 FIRST DEGREE. 

the Square to the Master, it being the proper 

Masonic emblem of his office ; and the Compasses 
to the Craft, who, by a due attention to their uses, 
are taught to circumscribe their desires, and keep 
their passions within due bounds with all mankind, 
but more particularly with their brethren in Free- 
masonry. 

ORNAMENTS. 

The Ornaments of a Lodge are the Mosaic Pave- 
ment, the Indented Tessel, and the Blazing Star. 
The Mosaic Pavement is a representation of the 
ground-floor of King Solomon's Temple ; the In- 
dented Tessel, of that beautiful tessellated border or 
skirting which surrounded it ; and the Blazing Star 
was its centre. The Mosaic Pavement is emblemat- 
ical of human life, checkered with good and evil ; 
the Indented Tessel, which surrounds it, of the 
manifold blessings and comforts which surround us 
in this life, and which we hope to enjoy by a faith- 
ful reliance on Divine Providence, which is hiero- 
glyphically represented by the Blazing Star in the 
centre. 

LIGHTS. 

There are three Lights in a Lodge (symbolic), 
one in the East, one in the West, and one in the 



FIRST DEGREE. 19 

South. There is none in the North, for King Solo- 
mon's Temple was placed so far north of the eclip- 
tic, that the sun or moon at their meridian height 
could dart no ray of light into the north part there- 
of. The North we therefore masonic ally term a 
place of darkness. ' 



JEWELS* 

There are six Jewels in a Lodge, three movable 
and three immovable. 

The Square, Level, and Plumb, which severally 
teach morality, equality, and rectitude of life ; and 
the Rough Ashler, Perfect Ashler, and Trestle- 
Board. The Rough Ashler is a stone as taken from 
the quarry, in its rude and natural state ; the 
Perfect Ashler is a stone made ready by the hands 
of the workmen, to be adjusted by the working- 
tools of the Fellow-Craft ; and the Trestle-Board 
is for the Master to draw his designs upon. By the 
Rough Ashler we are reminded of our rude and 
imperfect state by nature ; by the Perfect Ashler, 
of that state of perfection at which we hope to 
arrive, by a virtuous education, our own endeavors, 
and the blessing of God ; and by the Trestle-Board 

* Under the jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts, 
the movable Jewels are the Square, Level, and Plumb. 



20 FIRST DEGREE. 

we are also reminded, that, as the operative work- 
man erects his temporal building agreeably to the 
rules and designs laid down by the Master on his 
Trestle-Board, so should we, both operative and 
speculative, endeavor to erect our spiritual building 
agreeably to the rules and designs laid down by the 
Supreme Architect of the Universe, in the great 
books of nature and revelation, which are our spir- 
itual, moral, and Masonic Trestle-Board. 



SITUATION. 

Lodges are situated due East and West, because 
the sun rises in the East and sets in the West. 
And arts and sciences as well as Freemasonry arose 
in the East and spread to the West. Also, after 
Moses had safely conducted the children of Israel 
through the Red Sea, when pursued by Pharaoh 
and his host, he there, by the Divine command, 
erected a Tabernacle, and placed it due East and 
West, in order to receive the first rays of the 
rising, and last of the setting, sun. Also to per- 
petuate the remembrance of that miraculous east 
wind by which their mighty deliverance was 
wrought. This Tabernacle was taken as the 
model for King Solomon's Temple, of which our 
Lodges are a representation. 



FIRST DEGREE. 21 

DEDICATION. 

Lodges in ancient times were Dedicated to King 

Solomon In more modern times, to St. John 

the Baptist and St. John the Evangelist, — two 
eminent Christian patrons of Freemasonry, — and 
since their time there has been represented, in 
every regular and well-furnished Lodge, a certain 
point within a circle, supported by two perpen- 
dicular parallel lines, representing St. John the 
Baptist and St. John the Evangelist. On the top 
of the circle rests the Book of Holy Scriptures ; 
the point represents an individual brother, the cir- 
cle the boundary-line of his duty. In going round 
this circle, we necessarily touch on the two parallel 
lines, as well as on the Book of Holy Scriptures ; 
and while a Mason keeps himself circumscribed 
within their precepts, it is impossible that he should 
materially err. 



TENETS. 

The Tenets of a Mason's profession are Brotherly 
Love, Relief, and Truth. 

BROTHERLY LOVE. 

By the exercise of Brotherly Love, we are taught 
to regard the whole human species as one family, — 



22 FIRST DEGREE. 

the high and low, rich and poor, — who, as created 
by one Almighty Parent, and inhabitants of the 
same planet, are to aid, support, and protect each 
other. On this principle, Masonry unites men of 
every country, sect, and opinion ; and conciliates 
true friendship among those who might otherwise 
have remained at a perpetual distance. 



To relieve the distressed is a duty encumbent on 
all men, but particularly on Masons, who profess to 
be linked together by an indissoluble chain of sin- 
cere affection. To soothe the unhappy, to sympa- 
thize with their misfortunes, to compassionate their 
miseries, and restore peace to their troubled minds, 
is the grand aim we have in view. On this basis 
we form our friendships, and establish our connec- 
tions. 

TRUTH. 

Truth is a divine attribute, and the foundation 
of every virtue. To be goo.d and true is the first 
lesson we are taught in Masonry. On this theme 
we contemplate, and by its dictates endeavor to 
regulate our conduct. Hence, while influenced by 
this principle, hypocrisy and deceit are unknown 
among us, — sincerity and plain dealing distinguish 
us, — and by heart and tongue we join in promoting 



FIRST DEGREE. 23 

each other's welfare, and rejoicing in each other's 
prosperity. 



POINTS OF ENTRANCE. 

The four Cardinal Virtues, — Temperance, 
Fortitude, Prudence, and Justice. 

TEMPERANCE 

Is that due restraint upon the affections and 
passions which renders the body tame and gov- 
ernable, and frees the mind from the allurements 
of vice. This virtue should be the constant prac- 
tice of every Mason, as he is thereby taught to 
avoid excess, or the contracting of any licentious 
or vicious habits, the indulgence in which might 
lead him to disclose some of those valuable se- 
crets which he has promised to conceal, and never 
reveal, and which would consequently subject 
him to the contempt and detestation of all good 
Masons 

FORTITUDE 

Is that noble and steady purpose of the mind, 
whereby we are enabled to undergo any pain, 
peril, or danger, when prudentially deemed ex- 
pedient. This virtue is equally distant from rash- 



24 FIRST DEGREE. 

ness and cowardice ; and, like the former virtue, 
should be deeply impressed upon the mind of every 
Mason, as a safeguard or security against any ille- 
gal attack which may be made, by force or other- 
wise, to extort from him any of those valuable 
secrets with which he has been so solemnly in- 
trusted, and which was emblematically represented 
upon his first admission into the Lodge 

PRUDENCE 

Teaches us to regulate our lives and actions 
agreeably to the dictates of reason, and is that 
habit by which we wisely judge, and prudentially 
determine, on all things relative to our present, 
as well as to our future happiness. This virtue 
should be the peculiar characteristic of every 
Mason, not only for the government of his conduct 
while in the Lodge, but also when abroad in the 
world. It should be particularly attended to in 
all strange and mixed companies, never to let fall 
the least sign, token, or word, whereby the mys- 
teries of Freemasonry may become unlawfully ob- 
tained 

JUSTICE 

Is that standard or boundary of right, which en- 
ables us to render unto every man his just due, 
without distinction. This virtue is not only con- 



FIRST DEGREE. 25 

• sistent with Divine and human laws, but is the 
very cement and support of civil society ; — and 
as Justice in a great measure constitutes the really 
good man, so should it be the invariable practice 
of every Mason never to deviate from the minutest 
principles thereof. 

Our ancient brethren served their masters with freedom, 
fervency, and zeal, which qualities should be possessed by 
us, and which are symbolically illustrated in the Lodge 
before the close of the lecture. 

As we meet upon the Level, let us pai't upon the Square. 



CHARGE ON EIRST DEGREE. 

My Brother : This first degree is replete with 
information on the internal structure of our order. 
It is remarkable for the beauty of the morality it 
inculcates. A lesson of humility and a contempt 
for worldly riches and earthly grandeur is im- 
pressed upon the mind by these symbolic cere- 
monies, too forcibly to be forgotten. 

The beauty and holiness of charity are here de- 
picted, by emblems more impressive than words. 
You are here taught the pernicious effects of infi- 
delity, that without a trust in God you cannot pro- 
ceed on your journey; for the foundation of our 
Temple is in the belief in a Supreme Being, and 



26 FIRST DEGREE. 

he who would appreciate its beautiful lessons, must 
trust in him. The Holy Bible is here brought to 
your notice as intimately connected with this, as 
well as every other degree in Freemasonry. Our 
duties to ourselves and to our neighbors are here 
emphatically laid down, and symbolized by appro- 
priate emblems. 

Thus our institution is intended to promote the 
moral and social virtues, to ameliorate the condition 
of mankind, and ever to put into practice those 
Masonic virtues, Brotherly Love and Charity ; it 
also enjoins upon us the cultivation of the four 
cardinal virtues of Temperance, Fortitude, Pru- 
dence, and Justice. Your duty as a Mason binds 
you to an observance of the laws under which you 
live, that you are not to engage in any act at vari- 
ance with those laws, for by so doing you would 
bring unjust censure upon our institution. 

And, my Brother, let me here assure you, that 
you will meet with nothing frivolous, unmanly, or 
degrading, in any of our ceremonies ; and nothing 
to deter the worthy from continuing his journey. 
Pay no heed to any intimations to the contrary, 
should you find any so foolish as to advance them. 

There is no step but has its important lesson to 
communicate, and by strict attention you will find 
a newer and higher revelation of truth and beauty 



FIRST DEGREE. 27 

opening upon you as you advance. You here lay 
the Corner Stone of a Temple which may rival in 
spiritual beauty the architectural of King Solo- 
mon's. This degree is your first step towards its 
erection ; after you shall have prepared your ma- 
terials with the Gauge and Gavel of Truth, you 
are then to raise the walls of your Temple by the 
Plumb-line of rectitude, and connect the whole 
with the strong Cement of Brotherly Love. You 
thus erect a living edifice of thoughts, words, and 
deeds, in accordance with the designs laid down 
by the Great Architect of the Universe in the great 
book of nature and revelation. And this your 
Corner Stone should be geometrically square, that 
the walls of your edifice may not deviate from the 
required line of perpendicularity, which alone can 
give strength and proportion to the building. Thus 
you see the symbol of the Corner Stone is here 
used to portray integrity and stability of conduct, 
uprightness and truthfulness of character, which 
at this stage of your advancement you are most 
emphatically charged to maintain. And thus, be- 
fore you attempt to advance any further, you should 
perfectly understand this, your first lesson of the 
manner of laying your foundation. This hurrying 
along with one degree after another, before the 
lessons of each are properly understood, is the 



28 FIRST DECxREE. 

reason we have so many poor workmen among us, 
and so few who properly understand their Masonic 
duties, and therefore are incapable of giving proper 
instruction to those who are seeking for it. 

Be not anxious, therefore, my Brother, to proceed 
until you shall have perfectly understood the lessons 
of this your first step ; for you will more highly 
appreciate the gems and jewels you will meet with 
by a proper understanding of their nature and 
uses. You will find those around you whose duty 
it is to instruct you, and who will take pleasure in 
so doing. Remember the theory of this degree 
is morality ; you are here taught that faith plighted 
is ever to be kept, that the word of a Mason once 
given must be sacred. And the superstructure of 
virtue and piety which you are to erect will de- 
pend very much for its firmness and beauty upon 
the perfect squareness of the Corner Stone. 



SECOND DEGREE. 



FIRST SECTION. 

The Candidate having been previously examined 
upon the first degree in regard to his proficiency, 
and found to be qualified, is admitted to the cere- 
monies of the second. 

His first degree signified the period of youth, 
and his -working-tools were the Gauge and Gavel of 
Truth. This degree signifies the period of man- 
hood, when he is intrusted with the Square, Level, 
and Plumb, and is told that the square of virtue 
is henceforth to be the rule and guide of his con- 
duct in his transactions with mankind. 




30 SECOND DEGREE. 



SCRIPTURE READING. 

" Though I speak with the tongues of men and 
of angels, and have not charity, I am become as 
sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal. And though 
I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all 
mysteries, and all knowledge, and though I have 
all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and 
have not charity, I am nothing. And though I 
bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though 
I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, 
it profiteth me nothing. Charity suffereth long, 
and is kind ; charity envieth not ; charity vaunteth 
not itself, is not puffed up, doth not behave itself 
unseemly, seeketli not her own, is not easily pro- 
voked, thinketli no evil ; rejoiceth not in iniquity, 
but rejoiceth in the truth; beareth all things, 
believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all 
things And now abideth faith, hope, char- 
ity, these three ; but the greatest of these is charity." 

It is necessary here that the Candidate should advance 
of his own free will and accord, as it was in the first de- 
gree, and that he should be properly vouched for as worthy 
and well qualified for the honor, which should be ascer- 
tained by the proper officers. 

An opportunity should here be given the Candidate, as 
in the preceding degree, to decide whether he will proceed, 
for it is of the utmost importance that every step in Ma- 



SECOND DEGREE. 31 

sonry should be "voluntary. If he expresses a desire to 
proceed, he is then advanced. 

The instructions of this degree, as before stated, are not 
communicated to the Candidate, or should not be, until he 
has become somewhat proficient in the first. The Candi- 
date, if the Lodge-work is properly conducted, will stand 
the constitutional time before receiving advancement, and 
will answer all the necessary questions propounded to him 
on the preceding degree, which will help him to a proper 
appreciation of the lessons of this, and he will receive more 
light in consequence. 

EXPLANATION. 

Fellow-crafts are distinguished from Entered Apprentice 
Masons by the manner of wearing the apron, which infor- 
mation is given to the Candidate. 



THE WOEKTNG TOOLS. 

The Working Tools of a Fellow-craft are the 
Plumb, Square, and Level. 

The Plumb is an instrument used by operative 
Masons to try perpendiculars ; the Square, to square 
their work ; and the Level, to prove horizontals ; — 
but we, as Free and Accepted Masons, are taught 
to use them for more noble and glorious purposes. 
The Plumb admonishes us to walk uprightly in our 
several stations before God and man, squaring our 
actions by the square of virtue, and ever remem- 



32 SECOND DEGREE. 

bering that we are travelling upon the level of time, 
to that "undiscovered country from whose bourn 
no traveller returns." 

An allusion is here made to the interior of the Temple 
and to the manner of access to it, and also to the three 
articles of consecration, which are Corn, Wine, and Oil. 



SECOND SECTION. 

Two Kinds of Masonry, — Operative and Speculative. 

OPERATIVE MASONRY. 

By Operative Masonry, we allude to a proper 
application of the useful rules of architecture, 
whence a structure will derive figure, strength, and 
beauty, and from which will result a due proportion 
and just correspondence in all its parts. It fur- 
nishes us with dwellings, and convenient shelters 
from the vicissitudes and inclemencies of the sea- 
sons ; and while it displays the effects of human 
wisdom, as well in the choice as in the arrangement 
of the sundry materials of which an edifice is com- 
posed, it demonstrates that a fund of science and 
industry is implanted in man, for the best, most 
salutary, and beneficent purposes. 



SECOND DEGREE. 



SPECULATIVE MASONRY. 

By Speculative Masonry, we learn to subdue 
the passions, act upon the Square, keep a tongue of 
good report, maintain secrecy, and practice charity. 
It is so far interwoven with religion, as to lay us 
under obligations to pay that rational homage to 
Deity, which at once constitutes our duty and 
our happiness. It leads the contemplative to view 
with reverence and admiration the glorious works 
of the creation, and inspires him with the most 
exalted ideas of the perfections of his Divine Cre- 
ator. 

Our ancient brethren wrought in Operative as well as 
Speculative Masonry, and worked six days before they 
received their pay. 



IN SIX DAYS 

God created the heaven and the earth, and 
rested upon the seventh ; the seventh day, there- 
fore, our ancient brethren consecrated as a day 
of rest from their labors, thereby enjoying fre- 
quent opportunities to contemplate the glorious 
works of the creation, and to adore their great 
Creator 



34 SECOND DEGREE. 

Received and Recorded. 

The entrance to the Temple was by a porch, and be- 
tween two celebrated pillars, which were very profusely 
ornamented, and whose history is worthy of note. 

The stairs leading to the interior of the Temple were 
divided into three, five, and seven, and were winding. 
This division was undoubtedly made for easier ascent. 

The number Three may have had reference also to the 
Masonic organization into three Degrees, and to the three 
principal officers in a Lodge. 

The number Five alludes to the Five orders of 
architecture ; for architecture was inseparable from 
Masonry in its operative age. 



ORDER IN ARCHITECTURE. 

By order in architecture, is meant a system of all 
the members, proportions, and ornaments of columns 
and pilasters; or, it is a regular arrangement of 
the projecting parts of a building, which, united 
with those of a column, form a beautiful, perfect, 
and complete whole. 



THE ANTIQUITY OF THE ORDER. 

From the first formation of society, order in 
architecture may be traced. When the rigor of 
seasons first obliged men to contrive shelter from 



SECOND DEGREE. 35 

the inclemency of the weather, we learn that they 
first planted trees on end, and then laid others 
across, to support a covering. The bands which 
connected those trees at top and bottom are said 
to have given rise to the idea of the base and cap- 
ital of pillars ; and from this simple hint originally, 
proceeded the more improved art of architecture. 



HOW CLASSED. 

The five orders are thus classed: the Tuscan, 
Doric, Ionic, Corinthian, and Composite. 



ORDERS MOST REVERED. 

The ancient and original orders of architecture, 
revered by Masons, are no more than three, — the 
Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian, which were invented 
by the Greeks. To these the Romans have added 
two, — the Tuscan, which they made plainer than 
the Doric ; and the Composite, which was more 
ornamental, if not more beautiful, than the Co- 
rinthian. The first three orders alone, however, 
show invention and particular character, and essen- 
tially differ from each other ; the two others have 
nothing but what is borrowed, and differ onlv acci- 



36 SECOND DEGREE. 

dentally. The Tuscan is the Doric in its earliest 
state, and the Composite is the Corinthian enriched 
with the Ionic. To the Greeks, therefore, and not 
to the Romans, we are indebted for what is great, 
judicious, and distinct in architecture. 



THE FIVE SENSES OF HUMAN NATURE. 
Hearing, Seeing, Feeling, Smelling, and Tasting. 
The first three, Hearing, Seeing, and Feeling, 
are deemed most essential to us as Masons. 



THE SEVEN LIBERAL ARTS AND 
SCIENCES. 

Grammar, Rhetoric, Logic, Arithmetic, Geometry, 
Music, and Astronomy. 

The fifth, Geometry, is most revered by us as 
Masons: it is that science which treats of the 
powers and properties of magnitudes in general, 
where length, breadth, and thickness are consid- 
ered, — from a point to a line, from a line to a 
superficies, and from a superficies to a solid. 

A Point is a position without dimensions. 



SECOND DEGREE. 37 

A Line is a figure of one capacity, namely, length. 
A Superficies is a figure of two dimensions, name- 
ly, length and breadth. 

A Solid is a figure of three dimensions, namely, 
length, breadth, and thickness. 



THE USE OF THIS SCIENCE. 

By this science the architect is enabled to con- 
struct his plans and execute his designs; the 
general, to arrange his soldiers ; the engineer, to 
mark out grounds for encampments; the geogra- 
pher, to give us the dimensions of the world, and 
all things therein contained, to delineate the extent 
of seas, and specify the divisions of empires, king- 
doms, and provinces. By it, also, the astronomer is 
enabled to make his observations, and to fix the 
duration of times and seasons, years and cycles. 
In fine, Geometry is the foundation of architecture, 
and the root of the mathematics. 

The Outer and Inner Doors of King Solomon's 
Temple are alluded to in this Degree, and repre- 
sented in everv well-furnished Lodge. 



38 SECOND DEGREE. 

MORAL ADVANTAGES OF GEOMETRY. 

Geometry, the first and noblest of sciences, is 
the basis on which the superstructure of Masonry- 
is erected. By Geometry we may curiously trace 
Nature, through her various windings to her most 
concealed recesses. By it we discover the power, 
wisdom, and goodness of the Grand Artificer of the 
Universe, and view with delight the proportions 
which connect this vast machine. By it we dis- 
cover how the planets move in their respective 
orbits, and demonstrate their various revolutions. 
By it we account for the return of seasons, and the 
variety of scenes which each season displays to the 
discerning eye. Numberless worlds are around us, 
all framed by the same Divine Artist, which roll 
through the vast expanse, and are conducted by 
the same unerring law of Nature. 

A survey of Nature, and the observance of her 
beautiful proportions, first determined man to imi- 
tate the Divine plan, and study symmetry and order. 
This gave rise to societies, and birth to every useful 
art. The architect began to design, and the plans 
which he laid down, being improved by time and 
experience, have produced works which have been 
the admiration of every age. 

The lapse of time, the ruthless hand of igno- 



SECOND DEGREE. 39 

ranee, and the devastations of war, have laid waste 
and destroyed many valuable monuments of an- 
tiquity, on which the utmost exertions of human 
genius have been employed. Even the Temple 
of Solomon, so spacious and magnificent, and con- 
structed by so many celebrated artists, escaped not 
the unsparing ravages of a barbarous force. Free- 
masonry, notwithstanding, has still survived. The 
attentive ear receives the sound from the instructive 
tongue, and the mysteries of Freemasonry are safely 
lodged in the repository of faithful breasts. Tools 
and implements of architecture, symbols most ex- 
pressive, have been selected by the Fraternity to 
imprint on the memory wise and serious truths ; 
and thus, through a succession of ages, have been 
transmitted unimpaired the most excellent tenets 
of our Institution. 



G 



1 We meet upon the Level, 

And we part upon the Square : 
What words of precious meaning 
Those words Masonic are." 



SECOND DEGREE. 



CHARGE ON THE DEGREE OF FELLOW- 
CRAFT.—" Webb." 

Brother : Being passed to the second degree 
of Masonry we congratulate you on your prefer- 
ment. The internal and not the external qualifi- 
cations of a man are what Masonry regards. As 
you increase in knowledge, you will improve in 
social intercourse. It is unnecessary to recapitu- 
late the duties which, as a Mason, you are bound to 
discharge, or to enlarge on the necessity of strictly 
adhering to them. Having been taught to lay your 
foundation by the gauge and gavel of Truth, you 
are now intrusted with the Plumb, Square, and 
Level, to assist you in giving squareness and right 
direction to the structure you are about to erect. 
Our laws and regulations you are strenuously to 
support, and to be always ready to assist in seeing 
them duly executed. You are not to palliate or 
aggravate the offences of your brethren ; but in the 
decision of every trespass against our rules, you are 
to judge with candor, admonish with friendship, and 
reprehend with justice. The study of the liberal 
arts, that valuable branch of education which tends 
so effectually to polish and adorn the mind, is ear- 



SECOND DEGREE. 41 

nestly recommended to your consideration; espe- 
cially the science of Geometry, which is established 
as the basis of our art. Geometry or Masonry, 
originally synonymous terms, being of a divine and 
moral nature, is enriched with the most useful 
knowledge ; while it proves the wonderful properties 
of nature, it demonstrates the more important truths 
of morality. 

Your past behavior and regular deportment have 
merited the honor which we have now conferred ; 
and in your new character, it is expected that you 
will conform to the principles of the order, by stead- 
ily persevering in the practice of every commend- 
able Virtue. 

Such is the nature of your engagements as a Fel- 
low Craft ; and to these duties you are bound by the 
most sacred ties. 



THIRD DEGREE. 



The Candidate having been previously prepared, 
and being worthy of advancement by having taken 
the two preceding Degrees, and being conversant 
with their requirements, is admitted to the third. 



SCRIPTURE READING. 

" Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy 
youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years 
draw nigh when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure 
in them : while the sun, or the light, or the moon, 
or the stars be not darkened, nor the clouds re- 
turn after the rain : in the day when the keepers 
of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall 
bow themselves, and the grinders cease because 
they are few, and those that look out of the win- 



THIRD DEGREE. 43 

dows be darkened, and the doors shall be shut in 
the streets, when the sound of the grinding is low; 
and he shall rise up at the voice of the bird, and all 
the daughters of music shall be brought low. Also, 
when they shall be afraid of that which is high, and 
fears shall be in the way, and the almond-tree shall 
flourish, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, 
and desire shall fail : because man goeth to his long 
home, and the mourners go about the streets. Or 
ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl 
be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, 
or the wheel broken at the cistern: then shall the 
dust return to the earth as it was, and the spirit 
shall return unto God who gave it." 

Here likewise, as in the two preceding Degrees, it is ne- 
cessary to be particular to ascertain that the Candidate is 
worthy of the advancement which he is about to make; 
and if he is really desirous of persevering in this laudable 
object, he is cheerfully informed of the manner of obtain- 
ing his wishes. 

The instructions in this Degree, as well as in the two 
preceding ones, are not communicated to the Candidate 
until he has become somewhat proficient in the former, 
and even then, if we do our duty, he will stand the consti- 
tutional time after having received the second, as this will 
answer the requirements of the Grand Lodge. This Avill 
help him to a better understanding of the lessons here 
taught, and he will keep and retain them in proportion to 
the impression made upon him. We should not wrong the 
institution by letting the Candidate progress before he 



44 THIRD DEGREE. 



rightly understands the steps he has taken. This is not 
making thorough Masons, and we ought not to violate our 
duty to the institution by allowing it. We should each of 
us determine that we will not give it our sanction. 

EXPLANATION. ' 

There is also a distinction in this Degree in the manner 
of wearing the apron. 



WORKING TOOLS. 

All the implements of Masonry, indiscriminately, 
but more particularly the Trowel. 

THE TROWEL 

Is an instrument used by operative Masons to 
spread the cement which unites the building into 
one common mass ; but we, as Free and Accepted 
Masons, are taught to use it for the more noble and 
glorious purpose of spreading the cement of broth- 
erly love and affection, — that cement which unites 
us into one sacred band, or society of friends and 
brothers, among whom no contention should ever 
exist, save that noble contention, or rather emula- 
tion, of who best can work and best agree. 



THE TEMPLE. 

Among the workmen at the Temple, our Grand Master, 
Hiram Abiff, excelled all others in skill and knowledge of 



THIRD DEGREE. 45 

the arts. He was therefore selected to oversee the work- 
men, to give them necessary instructions, to draw designs 
for them upon the trestle-board; and he never entered upon 
his work without invoking a blessing from Deity. This 
was his invariable custom. 



Hiram the Builder, and his connection with the Temple, 
forms a great part of the history of this Degree. The sev- 
eral avenues from the Temple were by his orders guarded, 
that the workmen should not leave dui'ing the hours of 
labor, and none could go out of the country without a 
pass ; and should any happen to elude the vigilance of the 
guards, their absence would be discovered at Roll-call. 

The Hill of Mount Moriah is also connected with the 
history of this degree, and was situated in a westerly di- 
rection from the Temple. 

There were many caves or clefts in the rocks surround- 
ing it. one of which is said to have been the sepulchre of 
our Saviour. 

Thus the symbolism of this degree is intimately con- 
nected with Christianity. 

Our Grand Master Hiram was so attached to the Tem- 
ple, which was mainly the work of his hands, that his de- 
sire was to be deposited near it at his death. His desh'e 
was complied with, and a marble monument was erected 
to his memory, on which was delineated a broken column, 
a virgin weeping, before her an open book; in her right 
hand she held a sprig of acacia, her left arm encircled 
an urn, and Time stood behind her with his hands infolded 
in the ringlets of her hair. 



46 THIRD DEGREE. 

PRINCIPAL SUPPORTS. 

The Temple was principally supported by Three 
Grand Masonic Pillars, called Wisdom, Strength, 
and Beauty, and these were represented by our 
three ancient Grand Masters. 

Solomon's Wisdom contrived this mighty fabric, 
Hiram of Tyre strengthened King Solomon in his 
arduous undertaking, and Hiram Abiff superin- 
tended and beautified the work. 

And they severally contributed according to their 
capacity, in money and provisions, in men and 
material. 

FURTHER SUPPORTS. 

The Temple was further supported by 
1,453 Columns, 
2,906 Pilasters, 
all hewn from the finest Parian marble. 





WORKMEN EMPLOYED. 




There were employed in its erection 


153,303 


Workmen 


viz. : 




3 


Grand Masters, 




3,300 


Overseers or Masters, 




80,000 


Fellow Craft, or hewers in the mountain, 


70,000 E. A., or bearers of burdens. 




These were all classed by King Solomon 


so that 



THIRD DEGREE. 47 

neither envy nor discord were suffered to interrupt 
the harmony which it was so necessary should pre- 
vail; and thus they were divided into Lodges of 
Seven, Five, and Three. 

E. A. 7 { 5 F. C. 5 { 3 * f M - 



4 ( 2 ( M. 

The Ground Floor of the Temple, the Middle 
Chamber, and the Holy of Holies were severally 
used as. places of meeting of the different organiza- 
tions. 



THE THEEE STEPS, 

Usually delineated upon the Master's Carpet, 
are emblematical of the three principal stages of 
human life, namely, Youth, Manhood, and Age. 
They also allude to the first three Degrees in Free- 
masonry, — Entered Apprentice, Fellow Craft, and 
Master Mason ; for, in Youth, as Entered Appren- 
tices, we ought industriously to occupy our minds 
in the attainment of useful knowledge ; in Man- 
hood, as Fellow Crafts, we should apply that knowl- 
edge to the discharge of our respective duties to 
God, our neighbor, aud ourselves ; so that in Age, 
as Master Masons, we may enjoy the happy reflec- 
tion consequent on a well-spent life, and die in the 
hope of a glorious immortality. 



THIRD DEGREE. 



EMBLEMS* 



There are two classes of emblems used in this 
Degree. In the first class are embraced, — 
Pot of Incense, 
Beehive, 

Book of Constitutions, guarded by Tyler's Sword, 
Sword pointing to a Naked Heart, 
All-seeing Eye, 
Anchor and Ark, 
Forty-seventh Problem of Euclid, 
Hour-Glass, 
Scythe. 

THE POT OF INCENSE 

Is an emblem of a pure heart, which is always 
an acceptable sacrifice to the Deity; and as this 
glows with fervent heat, so should our hearts con- 
tinually glow with gratitude to the great and be- 
neficent Author of our existence, for the manifold 
blessings and comforts we enjoy. 

THE BEEHIVE 

Is an emblem of industry, and recommends the 
practice of that virtue to all created beings, from 

* If the Master prefers to use the more common (though not by 
any means proper) way of designating these as nine classes of em- 
blems, "eight of which are, &c," he will thus more closely follow 
the instructions of the Grand Lecturers. 



THIRD DEGREE. 49 

the highest seraph in heaven to the lowest reptile 
of the dust. It teaches us, that, as we came into 
this world rational and intelligent beings, so we 
should ever be industrious ones ; never sitting down 
contented, while our fellow-creatures around us 
are in want ; especially when it is in our power 
to relieve them, without inconvenience to our- 
selves. 

When we take a survey of nature, we view man 
in his infancy, more , helpless and indigent than 
the brute creation ; he lies languishing for days, 
months, and years, totally incapable of providing 
sustenance for himself, of guarding against the 
attacks of the wild beasts of the fields, or shelter- 
ing himself from the inclemencies of the weather. 

It might have pleased the great Creator of heaven 
and earth to have made man independent: but, as 
dependence constitutes one of the strongest bonds 
of society, mankind were made dependent on each 
other for protection and security, as they thereby 
enjoy better opportunities of fulfilling the duties 
of reciprocal love and friendship. — Thus was man 
formed for social and active life, the noblest part 
of the work of God; and he that will so demean 
himself as not to be endeavoring to add to the 
common stock of knowledge and understanding, 
may be deemed a drone in the hive of nature, a 



50 THIRD DEGREE. 

useless member of society, and unworthy of our 
protection as Masons. 

the book of constitutions, guarded by the 
tyler's sword, 
Reminds us that we should be ever watchful and 
guarded in our thoughts, words, and actions, par- 
ticularly when before the uninitiated ; ever bearing 
in remembrance those truly Masonic virtues, silence 
and circumspection. 

THE sword pointing to a naked heart 
Demonstrates that justice will sooner or later 
overtake us ; and although our thoughts, words, 
and actions may be hidden from the eyes of man, 
yet that 

ALL-SEEING EYE, 

Whom the sun, moon, and stars obey, and under 
whose watchful guidance even comets perform their 
stupendous revolutions, pervades the inmost re- 
cesses of the human heart, and will reward us 
according to our merits. 

THE ANCHOR AND ARK 

Are emblems of a well-grounded hope and a 
well-spent life. They are emblematical of the 
Divine Ark which safely wafts us over this tem- 
pestuous sea of troubles, and the Anchor which 



THIRD DEGREE. 51 

shall safely moor us in that peaceful Harbor, where 
the wicked cease from troubling and the weary 
shall find rest. 

THE FORTY-SEYEXTH PROBLEM OF EUCLID. 

This was a discovery of our ancient friend and 
brother, the great Pythagoras, who, in his travels 
through Asia, Africa, and Europe, was initiated into 
several orders of Priesthood, and is said to have 
been raised to the sublime degree of Master Mason. 
This wise philosopher enriched his mind abundantly 
in a general knowledge of things, and more espe- 
cially in Geometry, or Masonry. On this subject 
he drew out many problems and theorems; and 
among the most distinguished he erected this, upon 
which, in the joy of his heart, he exclaimed Eureka ! 
signifying, in the Grecian language, / have found it ; 
and upon the discovery of which, he is said to have 
sacrificed a hecatomb. It teaches Masons to be 
general lovers of the arts and sciences. 

The Pythagorian explanation of this emblem, which is 
much more appropriate than the one for which Euclid uses 
it, is as follows : — The base of the Triangle was called Mo- 
nad, or One, signifying God; the perpendicular side, Duad, 
or Two, representing matter; and the Hypothenuse, Triad, 
or Three, representing the world, signifying God out of 
matter formed the world. 



52 THIRD DEGREE. 

THE HOUR-GLASS 

Is an emblem of human life. Behold ! how swift- 
ly the sands run, and how rapidly our lives are 
drawing to a close ! We cannot, without astonish- 
ment, behold the little particles which are contained 
in this machine, how they pass away almost imper- 
ceptibly, and yet, to our surprise, in the brief space 
of an hour they are all exhausted. Thus wastes 
man ! To-day he puts forth the tender leaves of 
hope ; to-morrow blossoms, and bears his blushing 
honors thick upon him ; the next day comes a frost 
which nips the shoot; and when he thinks his 
greatness is still aspiring, he falls like autumn 
leaves, to enrich our mother earth. 

THE SCYTHE 

Is an emblem of time, which cuts the brittle 
thread of life, and launches us into eternity. — 
Behold ! what havoc the scythe of time has made 
among the human race ; if, by chance, we should 
escape the numerous evils incident to childhood 
and youth, and, with health and vigor, arrive to the 
years of manhood, yet withal we must soon be cut 
down by that all-devouring scythe of time, and 
be gathered into the land where our fathers have 
gone before us. 



T HI ED DEGREE. 53 

The next class of emblems are suggestive of the 
mortality of the body and the immortality of the 
soul; and afford serious and solemn reflection to 
the rational and thinking mind, but accompanied 
by the cheering assurance of a blessed immortality. 

Having met upon the level here, let us part upon 
the square. 



CHAEGE ON THIED DEGEEE. 

The welfare of our Institution depends upon the 
character of its members. 

Duty and honor now bind you to be faithful to 
the Order with which you have become connected ; 
it belongs to you to correct any irregularities in 
your brethren, to warn them of danger, and of the 
consequences of indulging in any licentious or vi- 
cious habits, of being particularly guarded in their 
thoughts, words, and actions, and never to let fall 
the least word, sign, or token whereby the secrets 
of Freemasonry may be unlawfully obtained. Be 
ever mindful of those truly Masonic virtues, — Si- 
lence and Circumspection. 

Never enter into any argument in vindication of 
the merits of our order, either to add to our numbers 
or for defence against its opponents. Your actions 
will speak louder, and be more convincing, than any 



54 THIRDDEGREE. 

arguments you can possibly use ; let these defend it, 
and not your tongue. Seek not to make converts to 
our Order by any representations of its excellences 
or its advantages; it must first exist in the heart 
of the applicant for its honors, who must himself 
seek the proper mode for admission, which will 
readily show itself to him if he has a desire to as- 
sociate himself with our Institution. There is noth- 
ing more important, than that you should ever be 
upon your guard against directly inviting, or indi- 
rectly attempting to influence your friends to allow 
their names to be proposed for the degrees in Free- 
masonry. That friend, before he enters the door 
of the Lodge-room, is required to answer upon the 
honor of a man, " that, uninfluenced by friends, he 
freely offers himself a candidate for the honors of 
Freemasonry " ; your friend, placed in such a situa- 
tion, has to declare a falsehood or retire ; either of 
which would be extremely humiliating to an honor- 
able man, and no honorable man would place his 
friend in such a position ; for the candidate who 
falsely says " I do," violates the requirements of our 
Institution upon the very threshold of its Temple. 
A want of this information might lead you, in your 
zeal for the Order, or out of regard for a friend, to 
do both a serious injury. Ours is the only society 
which does not admit of proselytism : in other asso- 



THIRD DEGREE. 



ciations this may answer, but it is wholly uncon- 
genial with the spirit of Freemasonry. 

You will therefore bear in mind, it is wholly in 
opposition to all our laws and principles, which in 
your obligations you have promised to abide by, to 
ask any one to become a Mason, or to use any influ- 
ence, except that of a truly Masonic life, to induce 
any one to ask admission. We are not to be seek- 
ing, but to be sought. You are also not to use any 
means to deter one about to receive the Degrees, 
either by endeavoring to excite his fears or leading 
him to suppose there is any cause for levity in the 
ceremonies of reception. 

There are some inclined to build up a character 
for courage and fortitude at the expense of others ; 
people have been deterred by their ambiguous ex- 
pressions from proceeding, after having entered our 
portals, not perhaps from fear, but not wishing to 
undergo anything degrading or unbecoming them 
as men. 

They have been told that, although they had suc- 
ceeded very well on the First and Second Degrees, 
they would fall back in the Third ; all such remarks 
are entirely unmasonic, and no Mason, imbued with 
the high and holy sentiments of our Order, will ever 
make use of any such degrading remarks, or sport 
with the solemn and important truths which are 



56 . THIRD DEGREE. 

symbolized in each advancing step of Freemasonry. 
Be extremely watchful and guarded in giving grips, 
signs, or tokens, for you may meet with those who 
have unlawfully obtained them, or unworthily retain 
them ; and though you may receive such, be very 
careful in acknowledging it by returning the same ; 
for remember that not until after due trial, strict 
examination, or lawful information, are you to con- 
sider such an one entitled to your confidence. 

Freemasonry is never to be advertised by the 
display of masonic pins or jewels ; this method is 
sometimes resorted to, and Masonry is thus made an 
advertising medium. Some even place its symbols 
upon their business cards ; all these things cause 
them to lose that sympathy they would otherwise be 
entitled to from their brethren, for they at once are 
suspected of having sought the honors of Masonry 
for mercenary and improper motives. I would also 
enjoin upon you most emphatically, that all the do- 
ings within the Lodge-room are secrets belonging to 
your brethren here, which you are bound to keep 
and conceal as your own ; remember they are com- 
municated to you in charge as such. 

The rejection of a Candidate, the report of a com- 
mittee upon the application of an individual, and 
the discussion which may ensue thereon, are never 
to be spoken of outside the Lodge-room. The quali- 



THIRD DEGREE. 57 

fications of an individual for the honors of Masonry 
may not be such as we would require of those with 
whom we are to associate, and we have a right to 
refuse him admittance ; but we have no right to 
publish his rejection out of the fraternity. 

You should also be very careful in making in- 
quiries when necessary in regard to the character 
of an applicant, that you throw no doubt in the 
minds of those to whom you apply of the individual's 
pecuniary affairs, as you might thereby materially 
affect his credit and standing in the business com- 
munity. 

But any conversation upon the merits of a Candi- 
date, or his fitness for associating with us, should be 
freely allowed among us, and should be as faithfully 
kept within the precincts of the Lodge-room. 

These things are highly important, and should be 
strictly observed, otherwise a brother would be re- 
strained from giving the information he possesses 
from the fear it might reach the ears of the Candi- 
date and create unfriendly feelings between them, 
where none need exist. 

For an individual may be a good neighbor, and 
an honest man, and not possess the requisites for a 
good Mason. 

Endeavor as much as possible to perfect yourself 
in the requirements of our Order by seeking informa- 



58 THIRD DEGREE. 

tion from those of your brethren who have been 
longer connected, and therefore better acquainted 
with its lessons, and who will be ever ready and 
willing to impart instruction. Let your conduct 
convince the world that the true Mason is a better 
Alan, a better Citizen, and a truer Christian; show to 
them that it is the internal, and not the external 
qualifications, which recommend a man to be made 
a Mason. Remember, the true Mason is slow to 
anger, and easy to forgive ; he will stay his falling 
brother by gentle admonitions, and warn him kindly 
of any deviations from the path of rectitude. He 
will apprise him of all approaching danger, he will 
not lend an ear to his slanderers, and will close his 
lips against all reproach; his faults and his foibles 
will be locked up in his breast, and the prayer for 
mercy will ascend to Jehovah for his brother's sins. 

Nor will these sentiments of benevolence be con- 
fined to those who are bound to him by ties of kin- 
dred or worldly friendship alone, but extending them 
throughout the world, he will love and cherish all 
who sit beneath the broad canopy of our universal 
Lodge ; for it is the boast of our Institution, that a 
Mason destitute and worthy may find in every clime 
a brother, and in every land a home. 

For though there may be conflicting opinions in 
regard to the origin of Freemasonry, there is but 



THIRD DEGREE. 



one as regards the foundation of it ; and it is with 
the morality of the Order that we have to do : it is 
founded upon the two simple, but sublime precepts, 
— " Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy 
heart, and thy neighbor as thyself." Masonry may 
be older or newer, but these were the laws prescribed 
by the All-wise for his creatures, before the founda- 
tions of the world were laid ; they were also an- 
nounced as the two great commandments by the 
Divine lips of Him who spake as never man 
spake. 

In the Lodge-room ever preserve order and de- 
corum, as in your midst may be those who are re- 
ceiving their first impressions of this beautiful and 
sublime order, and it is necessary that these first 
impressions, which are generally the most lasting, 
should be the right ones. 

No conversation should be indulged in while the 
work of the Lodge is going on, or leaving the room 
during the ceremonies, except in cases of urgent 
necessity. In former times no one attempted to 
leave the Lodge-room without permission from 
the W. M., and that rule ought to be strictly 
enforced. 

Be very particular about this in your visits to 
other Lodges, for it is disrespectful to the Lodge, 
annoying to its officers, giving also a bad impression 



60 THIRD DEGREE. 

to your younger brethren, and discredits the Lodge 
to which you belong. 

You should never forget the solemnity with which 
our Lodges are opened ; even in the name of Him 
to whom the adoring hosts of heaven bow down in 
reverential awe. 

There is hardly any distinction between open 
profanity and the mockery of first making a solemn 
appeal and prayer to our Creator, and then degen- 
erating into levity, or, which is scarcely less repre- 
hensible, indifference and inattention. 

Therefore, in proposing a Candidate, be very care- 
ful that he is one to be rightfully impressed with the 
sublime and beautiful lessons of our Order. 

A few years of a man's life is not enough upon 
which to form a true estimate of his character ; we 
should trace it further back : it is not enough that 
we can find nothing unfavorable to his reputation ; 
we should have the most satisfactory evidence that 
he is positively a moral man, that he is such whom 
we would desire as a companion, — one disposed to 
mix readily in friendly and fraternal intercourse 
with us. 

You have now a duty to perform to the frater- 
nity with which you have associated, its interests 
should be your interests, and no private feelings 
should allow you to propose for its honors one 



THIRD DEGREE. 61 

whom you do not know is worthy of them ; no 
man, however high his position, can add a jewel 
to the diadem of Freemasonry, or honor it by his 
presence ; the Institution honors all whom it re- 
ceives within the walls of its sacred Temple. And 
this Degree, my brother, is the perfection of Ancient 
Craft Masonry ; the purest truths are here unveiled, 
amid the most solemn ceremonies. It testifies our 
faith in the resurrection of the body ; and while 
it inculcates a practical lesson of prudence and 
unshrinking fidelity, it inspires the most cheering 
hope of a final reward. 

This was the highest Degree in the construction 
of the first Temple, and is therefore the perfection 
of Ancient Craft Masonry. 

From the sublimity of the truths developed in 
it, and from the solemn nature of its ceremonies, 
it has received the appellation of the Sublime De- 
gree. The analogy between Christianity and Ma- 
sonry is in this Degree most beautifully exempli- 
fied. The Sprig of Acacia, designating the resting- 
place of Him whose memory is revered by every 
true Mason, was upon Mt. Calvary, the spot where 
our Saviour suffered for the cause of Christianity ; 
and thus both teach the great lesson of immor- 
tality. 

This mount was in a due West direction from 



62 THIRD DEGREE. 

the Temple and the place where one of the three 
who pursued a due West course from the Temple 
sat down to rest and refresh himself. 

This mount had a cleft in the rock, or cave, which 
subsequently became the sepulchre of our Lord. 

This mount, tradition also says, was the burial- 
place of Adam; in order that where he lay who 
effected the ruin of mankind there also might the 
Saviour of the world suffer, die, and rise again. 

These great truths, brought to light by the resur- 
rection of our Saviour, constitute the very essence 
of Christianity, in which it differs from, and excels, 
all other religious systems. 

They constitute also the end, aim, and object 
of all Freemasonry, but especially of this Third 
Degree. 

After you shall have become associated with a 
% Lodge, by being admitted to membership, it will 
become your duty to keep all improper persons 
from receiving the benefits of our Order, by the 
use of the Black Ball, one of which in the Ballot- 
Box excludes the Candidate from the honors of 
Masonry. 

Let a free and fearless use be made of it on all 
proper, and even doubtful occasions. The Lodge, 
and not the Candidate, is entitled to the benefit of 
a doubt. 



THIRD DEGREE. 63 

The welfare of our Institution imperatively de- 
mands this duty of you; guard well our sacred 
portals, suffer none to enter but those who, being 
found worthy and well qualified, are also duly and 
truly prepared to receive its honors. 

But if the Black Ball is used except from a high 
and moral sense of duty, we abuse our Masonic 
privileges. 

Revenge, Jealousy, and Malice are not Masonic 
attributes, or consistent with the principles of Ma- 
sonry ; and should never be admitted over the 
threshold of the Lodge-room. 

Let us admit none but good men and true, who 
will practise faithfully its principles ; and our Order 
then will not only advance the happiness of its 
members, but will confer a benefit upon the world 
at large. 

I have thus, my Brother, endeavored to give you 
some idea of our Institution, and of your duties as 
a Mason, both while in the Lodge-room and while 
abroad in the world. Keep ever in view those 
three great Lights in Free Masonry, — The Holy 
Bible, Square, and Compasses ; for by attending to 
the obligations they enjoin upon us of discharging 
faithfully our duties to God, our neighbor, and 
ourselves, the sweet remembrance of our virtues, 



64 THIRD DEGREE. 

like His whom you have this evening represented, 
will last till Time shall be no more. 

Having in the First Degree laid your Corner- 
stone with the Gauge and Gavel of Truth ; and in 
your Second begun the erection of the walls with 
the Plumb, Level, and Square ; you are now to 
connect the whole with the strong Cement of Broth- 
erly Love. 



FUNERAL SERVICE. 



The Brethren will assemble in the Lodge-room ; 
the Master opens the Lodge upon the Third Degree, 
and announces the purpose for which they have 
convened, and begins the service as follows : — 

Master. " What man is he that liveth, and shall 
not see death V Shall he deliver his soul from the 
grave ! " 

Response. " Man walketh in a vain shadow ; he 
heapeth up riches, and cannot tell who shall gather 
them." 

Master. " When he dieth, he shall cany nothing 
away ; his glory shall not descend after him." 

Response. " Naked he came into the world, and 
naked he must return." 

Master. " The Lord gave, and the Lord hath 
taken away : blessed be the name of the Lord ! " 

The Grand Honors are then given. 

The Master then, taking the Roll in his hand, 
upon which is recorded the name and age of the 
deceased, says : — 



FUNERAL SERVICE. 



"May we die the death of the righteous, and 
may our last end be like his." " Almighty Father ! 
into thy hands we commend the soul of our de- 
parted Brother." 

The Brethren answer three times, " The will 
of God is accomplished ! So be it." Giving the 
Grand Honors each time. 

The Master then deposits the roll in the archives, 
and repeats the following prayer : — 

" Most Glorious God ! Author of all good, and 
Giver of all mercy ! Pour down thy blessings upon 
us, and strengthen our solemn engagements with the 
ties of sincere affection. May the present instance 
of mortality remind us of our approaching fate, 
and draw our attention towards thee, the only 
refuge in time of need, that, when the awful mo- 
ment shall arrive that we are about to quit this 
transitory scene, the enlivening prospect of thy 
mercy may dispel the gloom of death; and after 
our departure hence in peace, and in thy favor, we 
may be received into thine everlasting kingdom, 
to enjoy in union with the souls of our departed 
friends the just reward of a pious and virtuous 
life. Amen." 

The procession is then formed, without closing 
the Lodge, and proceeds to the house of the de- 
ceased, and from thence to the place of interment. 



FUNERAL SERVICE. 67 

If there are several Lodges, they will take rank 
according to their seniority, excepting that the 
Lodge of which deceased was a member walks 
nearest the corpse. Each Lodge forms one division, 
and the following order will be observed. 

OEDEE OP PROCESSIOX. 

Tyler, with drawn sword. 

Stewards, with rods. 

Musicians, if Masons, otherwise they follow the Tyler. 

Master Masons. 

Junior and Senior Deacons. 

Secretary and Treasurer. 

Junior and Senior Wardens. 

Past Masters. 

The Holy Bible, on a cushion covered with black, 

borne by the oldest member of the Lodge. 

The Master. 

Clergy. 

Pall jjj§ Pall 

Bearers. l^^f Bearers. 



The Brethren will keep their respective positions, 
and when the procession arrives at the churchyard 
or cemetery, the members of the Lodge form a circle 
around the grave in company with the family ; the 
Lodge members at the head of the grave, the family 



68 FUNERAL SERVICE. 

and mourners at the foot. If there are other 
Lodges, they will precede the Lodge of which the 
deceased was a member into the cemetery, and 
near the grave, when they will halt, open, and 
suffer the body and the mourners, with the Lodge 
connected, to pass through to the grave, and take 
their station next to it; the others then form out- 
side of these. The service is then resumed, as 
follows, either by the Chaplain or the Master of the 
Lodge. 

" Here we view a striking instance of the un- 
certainty of life, and the vanity of all human pur- 
suits. The last offices paid to the dead, are only 
useful as lessons to the living ; from them we are to 
derive instruction, and consider every solemnity of 
this kind as a summons to us to prepare for our own 
dissolution. 

" Notwithstanding the various mementoes of mor- 
tality with which we daily meet, — -notwithstanding 
death has established his empire over ail the works 
of nature, — yet, through some unaccountable infatu- 
ation, we forget that we are born to die. We go on 
from one design to another, add hope to hope, and 
lay out plans for enjoyment and employment for 
many years, and Death comes when we least expect 
him. 

" What are all the externals of majesty, the pride 



FUNERAL SERVICE. 69 

of wealth, or charms of beauty, when Nature has 
paid her just debts ? Fix your eyes upon the last 
scene, and view Life, stript of her ornaments, and 
exposed in her natural habiliments ; you will then 
be convinced of the futility of those empty delu- 
sions. 

" In the grave all fallacies are detected, all ranks 
are levelled, and all distinctions at an end. Let 
the present excite our most serious thoughts, and 
strengthen our resolutions of amendment. As life 
is uncertain, and all earthly pursuits vain, let us 
no longer postpone the important preparation for 
eternity, but embrace the present moment, while 
time and opportunity offer, to provide against the 
great change which must come to all of us. 

" Let us support with propriety the character of 
our profession, advert to the nature of our solemn 
ties, and pursue with assiduity the sacred tenets of 
our Order. Then let us supplicate the favor of Him 
whose goodness and power know no bounds, that 
when the time comes we may be enabled to prose- 
cute our journey without dread or apprehension to 
that distant country from whose bourn no traveller 
returns. 

Master. " May we be true and faithful, and may 
we live and die in love." 

Response. " So mote it be." 



70 FUNERAL SERVICE. 

Master. " May we profess what is good, and 
always act agreeably to our profession." 

Response. " So mote it be." 

Master. " May the Lord bless us, and prosper 
us, and may all our good intentions be crowned with 
success." 

Response. " So mote it be." 

Master. " Glory be to God on high, on earth 
peace and good-will towards men ! " 

Response. " So mote it be, now, henceforth, and 
forevermore." 

The Brethren then move in procession around 
the place of interment, and severally drop a sprig 
of evergreen into the grave, accompanied with the 
usual honors, while the following hymn, or any 
other appropriate, is sung : — 

Deep sorrow now pervades each heart, 

And grief our bosoms swell; 
A Brother from our band departs, 

In that new home to dwell. 

No more in our loved Lodge again 

Shall we our Brother greet; 
But in that Lodge that 's free from pain 

Shall we our lost one meet. 

Here rest in peace, thy labors o'er, — 

Our Brother we resign, 
Till the Grand Master's word restore 

To light and life divine. 



FUNERAL SERVICE. 71 

The Master then concludes the ceremony at the 
grave with the following words : — 

" Unto the grave we now resign the body of our 
deceased Brother, in favorable expectation that his 
immortal soul will partake of joys which have been 
prepared for it in that Celestial Lodge above. And 
may the Grand Architect of the Universe, in his in- 
finite goodness, extend to all of us his divine mercy, 
and crown our hopes with everlasting bliss, in the 
realms of- a boundless eternity. This we humbly 
ask on the merits of a risen Redeemer ; and to thy 
name shall be honor and glory, now and forever. 
Amen." 

Thus the service ends, and the procession returns 
in form to the Lodge-room, and the Lodge is then 
closed in due form. 



PRAYERS. 



PRAYER AT OPENING. 

Most holy and glorious God, the great Architect 
of the universe, the Giver of all good gifts, thou 
hast promised that, where two or three are gathered 
together in thy name, thou wouldst be in the midst 
of them and bless them. In thy name we assemble 
this evening, most humbly beseeching thee to bless 
us in this our undertaking ; that we may know and 
serve thee aright, and that all our actions may tend 
to thy glory and to our advancement in knowledge 
and virtue. We beseech thee to illumine our minds 
through the influence of the Sun of Righteousness, 
that we may walk in the light of thy countenance : 
and when the trials of our probationary state are 
over, may we all be admitted into that Temple not 
made with hands, eternal in the heavens. Amen. 



PRAYER AT INITIATION. 

Supreme Architect of the universe, whose 
all-seeing eye is ever upon us, pervading the inmost 



PRAYERS. 73 

recesses of our hearts, let it admonish us to guard 
well the avenues, that no unholy thoughts find en- 
trance there to mar the beautiful teachings of our 
institution ; impress this candidate who seeks to be 
united with us in the holy tie of brotherhood with 
the importance of the step he is about to take ; en- 
due him with Temperance to place that due re- 
straint upon his passions that he give not way to the 
allurements of Vice, Fortitude to meet his various 
difficulties unflinching, Prudence in regulating his 
actions, and Justice in rendering to all their due. 
May his heart burn with devotion to those great 
and holy tenets of our Institution, — Brotherly Love, 
Relief, and Truth ; and with a firm and steadfast 
Faith in thee, and a Hope in immortality ; may he 
be imbued with that heavenly gift of Charity, with- 
out which we are accounted as nothing. And thus 
duly and truly prepared, worthy, and well qualified, 
may he be admitted into thy celestial Lodge, where 
thou as Supreme Grand Master presidest. Amen. 



AXOTHEE. 



Most holy and supreme Grand Architect, the 
Giver of all good gifts, thou hast promised that 
where two or three are gathered together in thy 
name, thou wouldst be in the midst of them and 



/4 PRAYERS. 

bless them. In thy name have we now assembled 
in this Temple erected and dedicated to thee, and 
we humbly beseech thee to be with us and bless us. 
Teach us to know and serve thee aright, and to im- 
press upon this candidate, now kneeling at this con- 
secrated altar, the importance of the obligation 
which is to bind him to this ancient and honorable 
institution ; may he be a true and faithful brother 
among us, practising the beautiful lessons here in- 
culcated in all his dealings with his fellow-men, thus 
proving to the world that the good Mason must be 
a good man ; and when he shall have done serving 
thee here below, may he merit the salutation of 
" Well done, good and faithful servant, enter thou 
into the joy of thy Lord." Amen. 



ANO THER. 

Almighty and Omnipotent Father, be with 
this candidate who now kneels at the consecrated 
altar of Freemasonry to unite himself to this an- 
cient and honorable institution ; may he put his 
trust in thee, and fear not ; may he be found duly 
and truly prepared, worthy, and well qualified for 
this important undertaking ; impress upon his mind 
the solemnity of this his first step within our sa- 
cred Temple ; teach his heart to conceal before his 



PRAYERS. 



eyes shall behold the beauties thereof; may he 
prove a faithful brother, and ever bear in mind the 
necessity of that purity of life and conduct which 
is so essential to the true Mason. May he look 
back upon this his first step with pleasure and sat- 
isfaction ; and may he be induced to press onward 
in laying the foundation of his Masonic life with the 
Gauge and Gavel of Truth, erecting the walls by 
the Square, Level, and Plumb, and cementing them 
with the strong cement of Brotherly Love ; and, 
having fully performed his duties here below, wilt 
thou receive him into thy celestial Lodge above, into 
that Temple not made with hands, eternal in the 
heavens. Amen. 



ANOTHER. 

Father of light and life, be with thy servant 
who in darkness now kneels at this consecrated 
altar of Freemasonry ; impress upon his mind the 
greatness and importance of Truth, that, with a firm 
reliance and trust in thee, he may safely pursue his 
journey through life, fearing no danger, while thy 
rod and thy staff they comfort him. Cause us all 
to look beyond these scenes of frail mortality to 
hopes beyond the grave, and bind us yet closer in 
the ties of brotherly love and affection ; and when 



PRAYERS 



our earthly pilgrimage shall be ended, when the 
silver cord shall be loosed and the golden bowl be 
broken, may we all be admitted into thy celestial . 
Lodge above, there to meet upon the Level, and to 
go no more hence forevermore. Amen. 



ANOTHER. 

Supreme Architect of the universe, we be- 
seech thy blessing to rest on us in this our present 
undertaking ; may this our friend, about to become 
our Masonic brother, devote his life to thy service, 
and thus adorn our Masonic Temple erected and 
consecrated to thee. May he be endowed with 
Wisdom to direct him in all his ways, Strength to 
support him in all his difficulties, and Beauty to 
adorn his moral conduct ; let Brotherly Love and 
Charity, those sublime principles, govern and direct 
him ; let him ever remember that Masonry opens 
an asylum to virtue in distress, and grants relief to 
the unfortunate; and may we all, guided by thy 
Holy Word, that inestimable gift of thine to man. bo 
admitted at last into that Temple not made with 
hands, eternal in the heavens. Amen. 



PRAYERS. 77 



PRAYER AT CLOSING. 

Our Father who art in heaven, may thy 
blessing accompany the instructive lessons we 
have here received. May the principles here 
taught go out with us into our active business 
duties, and may we, as true Masons, practise out 
of the Lodge the beautiful precepts of our order. 
May Temperance, Fortitude, Prudence, and Justice, 
those important virtues so emphatically enjoined 
upon us upon our admission, be our constant com- 
panions, and thus show to the world that the good 
Mason must of necessity be a good man ; and as 
we meet upon the Level, may we ever act by the 
Plumb, and part upon the Square; and may thy 
Divine blessing now accompany us to our several 
homes, making them happier and pleasanter for 
this Brotherly meeting ; and having done serving 
thyself with us here below, may we all be found 
united in that celestial Lodge above, to go no 
more hence forever. Amen. 



78 




LIST OF LODGES 


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Second Monday 
Third Monday 
Fourth Monday 
First Tuesday 
Second Tuesday 
Fourth Tuesday 
First Thursday 
Second Thursday 
Third Thursday 
Second Friday 
Third Tuesday 
First Tuesday 

Fourth Wednesday 

Third Thursday 

First Tuesday 

First Thursday 

Fourth Tuesday 

Second Tuesday 

On or before Full Moon, Monday 

On or before full Moon, Wednesday 

First Monday 

Before Full .Moon, Thursday 

Nearest Full Moon, Wednesday 

First Tuesday 


si 
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Mt. Lebanon 
Massachusetts 
Germania 
Revere 
Aberdour 
Joseph Warren 
Columbian 
St. Andrew's 
Eleusis 

Winslow Lewis 
Zetland 

Baalbec 
Hamxnatt 
Mt. Tabor 

St. Paul's 
Adelphi 

Gate of the Temple 
Rabboni 
John Cutler 
Lafayette 
hire 
Pacific 

Warren 
Bethany 


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Before Full Moon, Tuesday 

On or before Full Moon, Wednesday 

Before Full Moon, Wednesday 

Before Full Moon, Monday 

On or before Full Moon, Friday 

On or before Full Moon, Monday 

First Tuesday 

On or before Full Moon, Monday 

First Monday 

On or before Full Moon, Thursday 

On or before Full Moon, Wednesday 

First Monday 

On or before* Full Moon, Thursday 

Second Monday 

On or before Full Moon, Monday 

First Tuesday 

Fourth Wednesday 

On or before Full Moon, Monday 

On or before Full Moon, Wednesday 

First Tuesday 

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On or before Full Moon, Thursday 

On or before Full Moon, Mondaj 
First Tuesday 

First Saturday 

On or before Full Moon. Saturday 
On or before Full Moon. Thursday 
Before Full Moon, Wednesday 


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Orange 

Oxford 

Palmer 

Pittsfield 

Plymouth 

Provincetown 

Quincy 

Randolph 

Rockport 

Roxbury 

West Roxbury 
Salem 

Sandwich 
Shelburne Falls 
Shanghie 
Somerville 

Somerset 
Southboro' 

Southbrldge 
Springfield 

\\ i t Stockbridge 
Stoughton 

Taunton 


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St. Mark's 

Jerusalem 

Paul Dean 

Harmony 

Orange 

Oxford 

Thomas 

Mystic 

Plymouth 

King Hiram 

Rural 

Norfolk Union 

Ashlar 

Washington 

Lafayette 

Kliot 

Starr King 

De Witt Clinton 

Mountain 

Ancient Landmark 

John Abbot 

Pioneer 
Bernard 
Quinebaug 
Hampden 

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Wisdom 
Rising Star 
Kin-' David 


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ctcxxxxxxx ■ X x :> 



NO W READY. 



HALL'S MASONIC PRAYERS. 

BEING 

A SERIES OF ORIGINAL PRAYERS, 

Expressly written to be used at the Altar in all the Masonic Lodges 
in the United States. 

Ey jno. k. hall. 

i vol. Large type. Small quarto. Morocco binding, gilt edges. 
Price, $2.00. 



$3T Lodges and individuals supplied, free of postage, on receipt 
of the price, $2.00. Address 

A. WILLIAMS & CO., Booksellers, 

100 Washington St., Boston. 



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